Aboutsilphium.
Silphium was previously used exclusively as an energy crop in bioenergy production. Now, cascading use means that the fibers of the silphium plant can be used to produce sustainable paper and packaging products.
Versatility has a name: Silphium
Silphium has been cultivated in Germany for a number of years now, so far as an energy crop used to produce power, gas and heat. The plant is known for its wide range of benefits:
Energy Crop
used to generate biogas
Perennial culture
that can be used for at least ten years
Protection against flooding and erosion
thanks to consant soil cover
Humus accumulation and carbon sequestration
in the ground
Long flowering period
and habitat for insects
Alternative fibers
as a raw material for paper production
Promoting indigenous ecosystems
and biodiversity
Good nutrient efficiency
and less use of pesticides
Wherever silphium blossoms, so too does opportunity
Originally from North America, silphium is now cultivated on some 10,500 hectares (2022) of land in Germany. The energy crop is growing in popularity in other European countries, too.
From silphium cultivation to silphie silage
It all begins when silphium plants are cultivated in a specially developed sowing process. In the fall of each year, the energy crop is harvested and preserved using an ensiling process to produce silage that is then available year-round as an input for treatment as fibrous material and to generate energy in biogas plants.
The silphie fiber – a new raw material
To obtain our silphie natural fibers, the harvested raw material then undergoes a multi-stage process. The raw material for fiber-based products is created through a biothermal process and fiber fabrication. No chemicals at all are used and it just takes a small amount of water and energy.
From silphie fiber to silphie paper
The paper mill is where our ecological fiber alternative is mixed with conventional pulp or recycled paper to produce our silphie paper. We sell paper and board with a silphie-fiber content of at least 35 %.
Environmentally friendly packaging solution
Our paper products – SilphiePaper, SilphieLiner and SilphieBoard – are suited to a wide range of different packaging applications for use in food and non-food products alike. The packaging experts at our Packaging Hub work with our customers to develop innovative packaging designs tailored to their unique needs.
Cascading use: coming full circle
The plant by-products of fiber processing are used as a fermentation substrate in biogas plants and help generate power, heat and gas. The fermentation residue from the biogas process is reused as a fertilizer in the fields, thereby closing the loop.
Our products
OutNature offers a wide range of natural-fiber products, from various grades of paper through to sustainable silphie-based packaging designs. We sell both off-the-shelf products and custom solutions.